Trail of Time: Headquarters Portal (Parking Lot A)

This Trail of Time portal appears after walking the 0.4 mile spur trail from Park HQ to the rim.

Quick Facts

Location:

Grand Canyon Village: Park Headquarters

Significance:

Paved trail with geologic timeline and exhibits

Amenities

3 listed

Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Information, Wheelchair Accessible

To get to this portal, walk the spur trail near Park Headquarters and parking lot A. It is a 0.4 mile (0.65 km) to the portal at the junction with the Canyon Rim Trail, (Trail of Time). 

This portal sits at 1,000 million (1 billion) years ago along the Trail of Time, a period of Grand Canyon history which corresponds with the deposition of rocks belonging to the Grand Canyon Supergroup, some of Grand Canyon's oldest sedimentary rocks.

This fact is reflected in the seating rocks and paving stones surrounding the portal. The paving stones represent sandstones of the Dox Formation, while the seating rocks include several large pieces of Hotauta Conglomerate (the basal member of the Bass Formation) and Bass Limestone; one piece of purplish limestone bears striking ripple marks formed by flowing water.

On the east side of the actual trail junction sits a large piece of Shinumo Quartzite, with an equally large piece of Sixtymile Conglomerate sitting next to it.

Directly opposite these rocks, on the west side of the junction, sit two large stromatolite fossils, the top sides of which have been cut and polished.

Walking west from here will take you to exhibits of the oldest rocks in Grand Canyon and Grand Canyon Village. 0.6 mile (0.9 km).

Walking east from here will take you through Grand Canyon's younger years to the present day and eventually to Yavapai Geology Museum. 0.7 mile (1.13 km).

Trail of Time Overview

The Trail of Time is the world's largest geoscience exhibition at one of the world's grandest geologic landscapes, Grand Canyon National Park. The trail utilizes the unique vistas and rocks of Grand Canyon to help visitors ponder, explore, and understand the magnitude of geologic time and the stories encoded by Grand Canyon rocks and landscapes. Geologic time is immensely long. The 4.56 km (2.8 mi) trail is marked every meter, with 1 meter = 1 million years of our 4,560,000,000 year-long Earth history. Viewing tubes, rocks on plinths, and wayside panels help visitors connect the rocks visible in Grand Canyon to their place along the timeline.

The main Trail of Time can be entered at different points - including the east end near Yavapai Point (young end), west end at Grand Canyon Village (old end), or a middle point where a connecting trail comes from the Park Headquarters parking area (Parking Lot A). Shuttle stops connect each entry point, so you can walk it in several ways and still get back to your car. The entry portals have messages on each side appropriate for those approaching (welcome) or for those completing different segments of the Trail (congratulations).

Located on the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, the Trail of Time extends along the paved Rim Trail between the Yavapai Geology Museum on the east and Maricopa Point on the west. The main portion of the Trail between Yavapai Geology Museum and Grand Canyon Village is accessible to wheelchairs and baby strollers, and it is convenient to shuttle bus stops and parking areas in a heavily-visited section of the park.